After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 17

Wen Huihan felt like his world had ended.

In his attempt to play a prank, he had ended up shooting himself in the foot. Not only did he fail to send the “couple icons,” but he had accidentally leaked his villainous costume photos.

If they were just cool, handsome photos, he wouldn’t mind He Chenshuang admiring them, but these were candid shots he’d taken haphazardly. In the photos, he looked positively sinister, practically overflowing with an evil aura, it was terrifying!

It would be a disaster if He Chenshuang noticed anything suspicious.

He could no longer keep up his act of calm composure. He dashed behind He Chenshuang to stop him from actually setting that selfie as his profile picture. Even if his identity as the “Big Villain” wasn’t exposed, he would die of embarrassment on the spot.

Fortunately, He Chenshuang wasn’t so fast that things were beyond repair. At that moment, he was simply enlarging the photo to inspect it closely.

Seeing his face blown up on the phone screen made Wen Huihan’s face explode in a bright red flush. It felt like his privacy was being publicly dissected.

What is there even to look at!

Sensing the resentment radiating from behind him, He Chenshuang turned around slowly, his voice laced with amusement. “Hmm, isn’t it a bit too extravagant to use this as a profile picture?”

Wen Huihan: “…You wish.”

He sent the two correct icons to He Chenshuang. “These are the right ones.”

He Chenshuang looked down and immediately identified his role. “I’m the puppy?”

Wen Huihan: “What’s wrong? You’re protective of your food, aren’t you a puppy?”

He Chenshuang locked eyes with him for two seconds, then his gaze shifted slightly, landing on Wen Huihan’s beet-red face that was still radiating heat. It was as if he were comparing the real person to the one in the photo.

Wen Huihan felt uncomfortable under that gaze. Luckily, He Chenshuang soon looked away and chuckled. “Are you getting back at me?”

Just because he didn’t get a bite of that ice cream cone?

Now that He Chenshuang actually held leverage over him, Wen Huihan wouldn’t dare claim they were “couple icons” even if he had ten thousand times his current courage. He was terrified He Chenshuang would do something untoward with those costume photos.

Besides, it worked just as well to say these icons were a deliberate act of revenge. If He Chenshuang got suspicious, he’d just claim he asked the club president to draw “bestie icons.”

In short, he held all the rights to the interpretation.

“Yeah, I asked the president to draw them,” Wen Huihan nodded, forcing himself to go along with it. “So, how about it? Scared?”

He Chenshuang critiqued, “Not bad. To receive such a ‘fan service’ photo from the great God Wen, I don’t mind being the puppy.”

How can someone be so happy about being a puppy? Does he think it’s a reward?

Wen Huihan: “Could you please kindly forget my angelic countenance?”

He even resorted to formal honorifics.

He Chenshuang gave a slight smile. “The angel is forgotten, but the devil remains.”

Wen Huihan: “…”

Now, every time he saw He Chenshuang smile, his skin crawled. But since the photo was in the other guy’s hands, he didn’t dare use threats.

The “Big Villain” had truly been poked in his weak spot. In the end, he didn’t manage to scare He Chenshuang with the couple icons and nearly lost his reputation in the process.

Since threats didn’t work, he had to resort to bribery. Wen Huihan promised to cover all of He Chenshuang’s breakfasts for the next month just to get him to swear he wouldn’t share the photo.

And he definitely couldn’t use it as a profile picture.

That night, Wen Huihan didn’t even have the heart to watch dramas in bed. He was too busy plotting how to get even with He Chenshuang.

However, before he could find his opening, the National Day holiday arrived. Neither of their roommates was staying on campus, they said their goodbyes and dragged their suitcases home early.

Wen Huihan was going to City C with He Chenshuang to watch the esports tournament he had been looking forward to. He packed his bags the night before and headed to the high-speed rail station the next day, full of anticipation.

He planned to watch the match, spend two days touring the local area, and then leave four days to go home and play games, a perfect National Day holiday.

He Chenshuang didn’t offer much of an opinion on the plan, simply nodding to show he understood.

Which was just as well, because even if he had an opinion, it wouldn’t matter. He Chenshuang was part of the plan, Wen Huihan couldn’t have fun on his own out there.

While waiting for the train, Wen Huihan played mini-games on his phone while He Chenshuang checked for local attractions in City C.

During National Day, popular spots would definitely be packed, but He Chenshuang was an expert at finding hidden gems in out-of-the-way corners. Not only were there fewer people, but the experience was top-notch.

Wen Huihan always had a great time traveling with him, and seeing that He Chenshuang had been working on the itinerary for days, he couldn’t help but look forward to the trip.

Soon it was time for their train. As they sat down, Wen Huihan felt He Chenshuang’s gaze on him, and his heart jumped with a sense of foreboding.

He Chenshuang looked around. “So this is the kind of place where ‘God Wen’ produces legendary fan service photos.”

Wen Huihan: “Is this never going to end?”

He Chenshuang: “Just a spontaneous observation.”

Luckily, after days of self-consolation, Wen Huihan was now immune. “Pity we’re not on the same train as before, otherwise I’d take one of you too.”

“That is a bit of a pity.”

Wen Huihan: “…”

He wanted to pick up the train and throw it at him.

Ignoring He Chenshuang, he went back to his mini-game.

As he played, sleepiness began to wash over him. He’d been so excited the night before that he’d hardly slept, so he decided to catch up on some rest now.

He said to He Chenshuang, “I’m going to sleep for a bit. Wake me when we arrive.”

He Chenshuang gave a hum of affirmation, and Wen Huihan drifted off peacefully.

Wen Huihan had a habit that was both good and bad, if he was tired, he could sleep anywhere.

He slept soundly in the high-speed rail seat, lasting almost the entire trip. When he woke up, he realized something was off, his head was resting on something.

Blinking sleepily, he realized he was leaning on He Chenshuang’s shoulder.

His first instinct was to check the corners of his mouth. Luckily, he hadn’t embarrassed himself by drooling on He Chenshuang’s clothes, otherwise the guy would have teased him for ages.

The moment Wen Huihan lifted his head, He Chenshuang realized he was awake and looked down.

Wen Huihan expected a mocking comment, but surprisingly, He Chenshuang said nothing of the sort. He only said, “We arrive in five minutes. Don’t forget your things.”

Wen Huihan felt a bit awkward. Sleeping on a bro’s shoulder for the whole trip felt very “gay,” but since He Chenshuang didn’t mention it, there was no way he was going to bring it up.

He hadn’t realized his “gay potential” was so high that he could pull off a minor torture on He Chenshuang even while unconscious. He felt a secret sense of pride.

After getting off the train, they didn’t even drop off their luggage. They hailed a taxi and went straight to the arena.

After his nap, Wen Huihan’s energy was at an all-time high. Especially since he was finally at the live event he’d been waiting for, he was excited the whole way, chatting non-stop even as they entered and sat down.

He Chenshuang listened the whole way, responding occasionally and handing him water at the right moments. “So, which team do you think will win?”

Wen Huihan took a sip. “Definitely Team ME. Their starting lineup is just too strong. I feel like they’ll bring out some new tactics today.”

“I see. Which player are you rooting for?”

“Sky Chen, of course. His gaming talent is no joke. I’ve even collected several of his highlight reels.”

Once Wen Huihan started talking, he was in his element. Then he realized He Chenshuang actually understood what he was saying and even engaged in a back-and-forth discussion. He asked in surprise, “Wait, how do you know all this? Don’t you usually not pay attention to this stuff?”

He Chenshuang: “Why would I buy tickets if I didn’t pay attention?”

He looked over with a smile. “Or was it because of you?”

“I never said that.”

Wen Huihan thought about it, anyone buying live tickets usually had an interest in esports, otherwise why waste the money?

But he really didn’t see He Chenshuang looking at this kind of news often. The guy probably didn’t even have games installed on his computer. He suspected He Chenshuang was a “theoretical pro.”

Could he be a closet gamer?

He gave He Chenshuang several suspicious looks, but the latter looked perfectly natural as he collected cheering banners from the staff.

Soon, Wen Huihan didn’t have time to worry about that. Once the match started, he was fully immersed.

The seats He Chenshuang bought were in the first few rows. Throughout the match, Wen Huihan held his banner and stared unblinkingly at the big screen. His breathing hitched and slowed with the rhythm of the game, and his mouth hung slightly open at the tense moments.

He Chenshuang sat back in his chair in a relaxed posture. The light and shadows from the big screen played across his well-defined features. Though he was watching the game, he clearly wasn’t as invested as Wen Huihan.

Perhaps because they were in the front row and both of them had looks that were far above average, the camera operator panned to them several times.

When both their faces appeared on the screen, Wen Huihan smiled broadly while holding his banner. He even nudged He Chenshuang with his elbow. “We’re on TV! Give us a smile.”

“Oh.”

Only after being asked did the corners of He Chenshuang’s mouth twitch up slightly. It was hard to tell if he was actually smiling or not.

Wen Huihan’s suspicion that He Chenshuang was a closet gamer skyrocketed, but he had no proof.

When the match ended, the team Wen Huihan favored won with a stunning 3-0 victory. His steps as he walked out of the arena were light and joyful.

Despite having traveled for hours, he didn’t feel tired at all. He felt like he could find an internet cafe and play all night.

Of course, that was impossible. He still had a “Great Buddha” to take care of. Even though He Chenshuang seemed fine, Wen Huihan chose to head back to the hotel to rest, keeping tomorrow’s full itinerary in mind.

At the hotel, Wen Huihan stared at the room’s only feature: one large bed.

He Chenshuang walked in behind him, his voice steady. “I checked with the front desk. The hotel is fully booked, this was the only king room left.”

They had booked late, mainly because He Chenshuang had forgotten he’d bought the tickets. Since it was National Day, not only were prices skyrocketing, but rooms were extremely scarce.

Wen Huihan didn’t mind. He stole a glance at He Chenshuang, but he couldn’t see any particular emotion on the man’s face.

He Chenshuang is homophobic, isn’t he? Sharing a bed with a man must make him very uncomfortable.

Sure enough, under Wen Huihan’s gaze, He Chenshuang soon spoke again. “I asked the front desk for an extra blanket. We’ll each have our own.”

Wen Huihan understood. He Chenshuang really didn’t want to share a blanket with another guy, sharing a bed was already pushing his limits.

If they hadn’t been friends for years and if He Chenshuang weren’t so familiar with him, the guy might have been so scared he’d sleep on the floor.

“Fine.”

Wen Huihan put down his luggage, grabbed his clothes, and went to the bathroom to shower. His mind was already cooking up an evil plan.

What a perfect opportunity!

How could he pass up this chance to torture He Chenshuang!

He Chenshuang surely had no idea that his supposedly “innocent” best friend was currently thinking of ways to give him a hard time.

After his shower, Wen Huihan lay on the bed and played with his phone. By the time He Chenshuang came out of the bathroom, Wen Huihan had already closed his eyes and was lying on his side, looking quite peaceful.

His sleeping posture wasn’t very proper, but his sleeping face was cute.

He Chenshuang stood there for two seconds before stepping over. He gently took the phone from Wen Huihan’s hand and placed it on the nightstand.

Then he walked to the other side and climbed into bed as quietly as possible, trying not to wake the sleeping man.

He lay down gently and reached out to turn off the light. The room fell into darkness.

He Chenshuang occupied only a third of the bed, keeping his distance from Wen Huihan. He lay flat on his back with his hands on his stomach, preparing for sleep in an extremely disciplined posture.

After a long day of travel, he was feeling a bit drowsy. He slowly closed his eyes to the sound of Wen Huihan’s breathing.

Just as he was about to drift off, an arm suddenly reached into his blanket from the side.

He Chenshuang snapped his eyes open and looked toward the person beside him.

The darkness was thick, he could only see a faint silhouette.

But the hand that reached in seemed to only be leading the way. Immediately after, Wen Huihan’s entire body slid into the blanket beside him.